Backpacking Minaret, Cecile and Iceberg Lake

Mammoth Lakes, California

Note: This is a multiday backpacking trip. If you're new to backpacking, check out our backpacking basics and tips page HERE.

Ansel Adams Wilderness is located in the Inyo National Forest in Mammoth Lakes, CA.  Home to alpine lakes and beautiful peaks it’s the kind of place where you can truly disconnect from the modern world. While there are so many options to choose from, one of the best backpacking destinations in the Ansel Adams Wilderness is Minaret, Cecile, and Iceberg Lakes.  This guide provides some general travel tips, details on permits and parking, and our recommended itinerary.

General Travel Tips

• Download the All Trails app and download their offline map for Minaret Lake - instructions on how to download offline maps on the app can be found HERE.

• Don’t forget to bring a bear canister as they are required here.

• Do not leave anything with a scent in your car - bears can and will break into your car. There are bear-proof storage lockers at the parking area for Devil’s Postpile. Be sure to leave your name and date of return on anything you leave in the lockers.

• Email your itinerary with dates and trail names to two emergency contacts and tell them when you will contact them to let them know you’ve made it back safely. This way, if you ran into an emergency and didn’t make it back, they’d know when they should contact the Rangers/Police.

• Be sure to check the weather before you go as conditions at this location and rapidly change.

Permits & Parking

An Inyo National Forest Wilderness permit for Minaret Lake is required for this trip and can be purchased from recreation.gov. The trailhead for this backpacking trip starts at the parking area for Devil’s Postpile. Normally hikers are required to take a shuttle to reach Devil’s Postpile between June and September. However, backpackers are an exception to this rule and can park just outside the monument boundary. Backpackers must show their wilderness permit and pay the standard amenity fee to staff at the Minaret Vista entrance station and they will be allowed to drive into the valley and park. Note that no overnight parking is available after October 15th - backpackers would need to arrange for a shuttle or taxi or be prepared to hike out after this date.

Recommended Itinerary

To be able to take your time to enjoy great views of all three lakes, we recommend taking this trip over a period of 4 days/3 nights. Following the correct trail from Devil's Postpile to Minaret Lake can be quite confusing.  Follow the signs in the this order to get to Minaret Lake (starting from Devil’s Postpile parking area): Devil’s Postpile, Minaret Falls, Minaret Lake, Johnston Lake and finally, Minaret Lake.

The hike is a total of about 7 miles (one-way) with 2,500 feet of elevation gain to Minaret Lake.  With a bit of scrambling near the North-West side of Minaret Lake, you can reach the clear blue Cecile Lake.  Circle Cecile lake and you’ll get a bird’s eye view of Iceberg Lake from above.